On Sunday, April 15, 2018, the Columbia Police Department was requested to initiate an investigation into the death of an inmate.
Preliminary investigation shows that 33-year-old Glen Morrison Jr. was brought into the facility and booked in at 1:36 a.m. on charges of Disorderly Conduct, Resisting Arrest, Trespassing, Public Intoxication and Tampering with Physical Evidence. Morrison was transported to TJ Health Columbia for medical clearance prior to his booking as officers suspected him of swallowing narcotics.
Preliminary investigations show that jail deputies had contact with Morison on at least four separate occasions between 6:00am and 1:15pm. The interactions were to remove Morrison from his cell to complete a specific task. This does not include cell checks that are conducted every 30 minutes, all of which were observed to be okay. During ALL interactions, Morrison showed no signs of distress and he did not request medical attention.
At approximately 1:29pm, Morrison’s cellmates called to the attention of jail staff that he needed help. Jail deputies saw that he was shivering and lethargic and took him to the nurses station. At approximately 2:00pm, it was determined that Morrison needed to be transported to TJ Health for additional treatment and at 2:01pm dispatch was called. Adair County EMS arrived and Morrison walked himself over to the stretcher where he was then transported.
At 3:41 pm Morrison was pronounced deceased at TJ Health Columbia and Adair County Deputy Coroner Mike Keltner was notified. A review of security footage from a local business does show that it appears he removed something from his pocket and ingested it prior to officers reaching him before his arrest.
Sgt. Gary Roy attended an autopsy in Louisville on Monday morning, April 16, 2018 and the preliminary report indicates the following:
1- Foreign Material in distal esophagus
2- Pulmonary Edema
3- Absence of Lethal Trauma
A full report and toxicology are still pending and will be released to the office of Adair County Coroner Todd Akin and law enforcement when completed by the State Medical Examiners Office.